Book your viewings with your Real Estate Agent, Engel & Völkers and at the same time take part in the festival of Sant Antoni in Pollensa and get to know your new neighbours!

The perfect time for house hunting in Mallorca is just a couple of weeks after the Christmas and New Year holidays, it is when one of the most important festivals on the Balearic island gets underway and one you should not miss. Sant Antoni the patron saint of Animals is celebrated in a very big way, catering for every member of the family. The sunny island welcomes everyone to take part in the festivities that include bonfires, parades, verse and song, traditional music and food. If you have decided on buying a property in Sa Pobla or Pollensa, then take the opportunity to take part in the biggest and most dramatic festivities of all! The team at Engel & Völkers can fill you in on the background of the celebrations and let you know what you really have to see. Take a look in our PORTFOLIO at some of the exclusive properties we have listed, from modern Townhouses in Pollensa to Majorcan country houses (fincas) in Muro.

Discover the origin of the Sant Antonio festivities with Engel & Völkers

The legend of Sant Antoni Abad, one of the first Christian monks, began in 251 in ancient Egypt. Tempted several times by the devil, he used the embers of fire as protection from the dark forces, which is still remembered today with the lighting of bonfires. As patron saint of animals, according to legend, Sant Antoni blessed a weak piglet and saved it from a certain death and today in celebration that pets and domestic animals are paraded before the local parish churches and are given a blessing.

Remembering the patron saint

The first Feast of Saint Anthony took place in Sa Pobla in 1365. If you invest here today in one of the dream properties for sale with Engel & Völkers in the north of Mallorca, you can experience the cultural program up close and get to know the small village at its’ most fascinating. How about this high-quality house with modern details in a central location for purchase in Sa Pobla?

From dancing devils to a hearty Majorcan lunch: purchasing a traditional property in the north of Mallorca

Especially the purchase of a stylish townhouse around the time of the Sant Antoni festival is recommended by our experienced real estate agents to international house hunters, so that you and your family can experience the diverse program and traditional lifestyle of the island first-hand. The first festive days are all about the smallest spectators, who get their money's worth at various barbecues, parades and evening events. On the 16 th of January, a traditional mass in Algaida will begin at 11 a.m., the highlight of the day is the lighting of the bonfires in numerous villages. In the glow of fire, locals dressed as devils dance and burn devil puppets as a sign of resistance to the dark temptations that Sant Antoni once faced. Locals sit together singing their Mallorcan ditties (gloses) accompanied by the Ximbomba (a local instrument) well into the small hours, until the Saints day officially begins on the 17th of January. You might be invited to try the typical Mallorcan dish "espinagada", which is given to visitors to the villages and if you are early enough you will see the blessing of the animals and get your first coffee or beer. In Pollensa the entire town walks up through the beautiful valley of Ternelles to retrieve a pre-felled pine tree which is then brought down to the village in a very original way but that is another story. In Puerto Pollensa the tree is brought by boat from the emblematic area of Formentor, also very worth seeing. It is a fantastic and fun filled time to visit a Mallorca that is utterly authentic during the winter months and the best time for looking at and purchasing a property.

If you would like to learn more about buying a property in the north of Mallorca we recommend you to take a look at the Engel & Völkers Market Report 2018/2019 (the 2020 version to be released soon) and / or arrange for a personal meeting with one of our agents in our Pollensa office.